“Marketable, Olympic champion, charismatic” - Why 'rock & roll' Remco Evenepoel was targeted as the perfect face of Red Bull cycling

The speculation is over: Remco Evenepoel will leave Soudal - Quick-Step at the end of the 2025 season to join Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. After months of rumours, the Belgian team confirmed his early exit from a contract originally running through 2026. The move marks one of the most significant transfers in recent cycling history — and, according to marketing experts, signals the next phase in Red Bull’s growing presence in the sport.

“Remco suits the Red Bull brand,” says sports marketing expert Manu Leroy in comments collected by HLN. “Of course, athletic performance is the foundation. But the next question is always: is the athlete marketable? Do they fit the brand? Remco is an Olympic champion, he’s got that rock & roll edge, he’s charismatic. That definitely played a role in the decision.”

Red Bull has increasingly positioned itself as more than a sponsor in elite sport — it owns teams across Formula 1, football, and now cycling, where it holds a majority stake in the BORA–hansgrohe outfit. The signing of Evenepoel is seen by experts as part of a long-term strategy to centre the team around a single, globally marketable leader.

Leroy believes that Red Bull’s choice of Evenepoel goes beyond sporting value. “They want winners, but they also want people who can carry a brand. Remco has that rare combination of elite talent and media appeal,” he says.

Unlike traditional sponsors, Red Bull takes full control of the teams it backs — from branding and media to athlete access and image rights. Evenepoel, with his outspoken personality and media presence, fits this model well. “Once Red Bull is involved in a sport, their approach is: if we’re in it, we’re in it to win — and to control the whole message,” Leroy explains.

With its own media house and digital channels reaching millions, Red Bull has already created a self-sustaining media ecosystem. Evenepoel is now set to become a central figure within it.

Evenepoel’s move comes at a time of shifting power dynamics in professional cycling. Although Quick-Step strengthened its GC ambitions with riders like Mikel Landa and Valentin Paret-Peintre, it struggled to match the resources of UAE Team Emirates - XRG and Team Visma | Lease a Bike.

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe meanwhile, now backed by one of sport’s biggest marketing machines, appear positioned to change that — with Evenepoel as the keystone. “He’s the kind of athlete that can lead a team for a decade,” says Leroy. “And for Red Bull, it’s not just about winning races — it’s about owning attention.”

Evenepoel will see out the 2025 season with Soudal - Quick-Step, with the Tour de France expected to be a major target in his final year with the Belgian team. After that, he will begin a new chapter under Red Bull colours — one that, according to observers, could reshape the sport’s competitive and commercial landscape.